a crucial, final look at jobs in 2012. >> and just ahead of the labor department's december employment report, there's a preview showing signs of strength and resilience in the job market. the adp numbers on the private sector show businesses added 215,000 jobs last month, the biggest gain in 10 months. there was a jump in construction jobs. almost 40,000, because of hurricane sandy rebuilding and the housing recovery. and in washington, the new congress is gearing up to get down to work. they have a full plate in front of them, with their fair share of bitter battles already looming. abc's tahman bradley joins us, now, from washington, with the latest. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. right out of the gate, members of this new congress have a lot to deal with. they have to take on spending and deficit reduction. but the first order of business is aid for people still struggling to put their lives back together after hurricane sandy. the newly sworn in 113th

congress gets down to business today. first up, a vote on a $9 billion aid package for victims of superstorm sandy. but that's only a fraction of the $60 billion in aid the senate had approved. the house adjourned earlier in the week, before the vote, which set off a firestorm. northeastern politicians erupted. >> republican leadership has turned their backs on new yorkers. >> we sent them there. we sent them there. to do the work for us. not to sit down there and play with each other. >> reporter: and northeast residents, some of whom lost everything during sandy, voiced their anger. >> they're supposed to be representing us. >> reporter: the $9 billion aid package congress will take up today, will cover flood insurance for regions impacted by sandy. the house leadership has promised a vote on a separate, $51 billion package later this month. with sandy relief seemingly resolved, the new congress will turn its attention to two, big, looming battles that will surely give new members a taste of washington's bitter partisan divide. >> it's a little bit like

walking into a dinner party, where the couple that's hosting it is already in the middle of a fight. >> reporter: congress must address the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that will take effect in two months. and the possible default of the government when the country reaches the debt ceiling. house speaker john boehner, who was re-elected, despite rebellion among some conservatives, says he hopes the new congress will rise to meet the country's extraordinary challenges. rob and paula? >> only time will tell. should be interesting, as always. tahman bradley, live in washington. thanks, tahman. and there was a moment of bipartisanship, believe it or not. dozens of democrats and republicans, cheering on illinois senator, mark kirk. nearly a year after suffering a major stroke, kirk made the slow climb to the front door of the senate, with a little help from the v.p. and another colleague. he conquered all 45 steps. we'll take a look at some of the other memorable moments, coming up in just a minute. and a special visitor comes to newtown, connecticut, today. former congresswoman gabby

giffords is meeting with families of the 26 school attack victims. meantime, the school's children head back to class for their second day today in a new building, amid very tight security. abc's amy robach reports. >> reporter: officials say the buses were packed and attendance was high, as nearly 500 sandy hook students returned to class for the first time. >> most of the kids were excited. they're seeing friends they haven't seen in a while. they were anxious to get into the hallways and meet up with the other kids. and you could see the teachers had the same response. >> reporter: but for many parents, it was a difficult, emotional day. we were with erin milgram and her first grader, lauren, as they prepared for school. >> we just try to focus on the happy things. we really have no idea what we're doing. >> reporter: during the shooting, lauren's teacher hid her 15 students in a tiny bathroom. erin was one of many parents who stayed at school with their children. have you thought about next week and what each day may bring? will it get a little easier? >> i hope so.

i hope so. i can't stay with them every day. i know at some point i'm going to have to let them go. >> reporter: and even as her kids pass daily reminders of what happened in newtown, erin knows they're one step closer to healing, each and every day. >> you get so worried and you get caught up in everything that happen and the tragedy of it all. and then, they surprise you by bouncing back. >> reporter: congresswoman gabby giffords has planned a private meeting with families here in monroe, connecticut. and just wednesday, she was meeting with new york mayor mike bloomberg, talking, not surprisingly, about gun control. amy robach, abc news, newtown, connecticut. >> thanks to amy. and secretary of state hillary clinton goes back to work next week after a month away. clinton is resting at home after leaving a hospital in new york on wednesday. but she's also seeing to state department staff in preparation for her return. clinton won't be making any overseas trips for the time being, as she continues to recover from a blood clot.

three senators are turning up the heat on the cia, over the movie, "zero dark thirty." senators john mccain, dianne feinstein and carl levin, had already complained that the movie erroneously implies that the u.s. used torture in the hunt for osama bin laden. now, they're trying to find out if cia officials deliberately misled the filmmakers. the lawmakers sent a letter to the cia director this week, requesting all documents the agency provided to the filmmakers. it is time, now, for the weather from across the nation on this friday. morning showers in the pacific northwest. snow tapering off from new mexico to southwest texas. showers around corpus christi, dallas and midland. thunderstorms in from jacksonville to orlando and west palm beach. and flurries in western new york. >> 30s in boston and new york. upper 20s across the midwest. 40s from seattle to portland. and when we come back, think your job is stressful? well, the new list of most stressful jobs is just out. and flu cases are spiking

far and wide right now. why this season is already so miserable for so many. and capturing memorable moments from a day of firsts on capitol hill.

and welcome back, everyone. as we reported at the top of the broadcast, there's a positive preview ahead in today's all-important december employment report from the labor department. the adp private sector numbers show that businesses added 215,000 jobs last month. that's the best in ten months. and it turns out 2012 was a very good year for auto sales in

the u.s., which topped 14.5 million. the best in five years. chrysler, which is the smallest of detroit's big three, put up some of the biggest numbers, with sales jumping 21%. and ford's f-series trucks were america's best-selling vehicles for the 31st-straight year. >> not a bad record. an offshore oil drilling giant will be digging deep in a settlement over the 2010 gulf oil spill. transocean, owner of the deepwater horizon rig that exploded, has agreed, now, to pay $1.4 billion in a deal that settles the government's claims against the company. the money will help boost recovery projects in that oil spill disaster zone. also, the consumer electronics show rolls into vegas next week. and toyota and audi both say they'll have new, self-driving car technology to unveil. toyota has already posted a brief clip of a lexus sporting some of the features, including radar and cameras that can spot other cars and also detect traffic signals. not bad.

>> not so sure about that. >> in time. in time. and looking for a new career in 2013? well, we have this list of this year's most and least stressful jobs. enlisted military personnel, military general, and firefighter, well, they top the list of stressful jobs in a survey put together by careercast.com. university professor, seamstress and medical records technician, are the least stressful. so, if you're looking for the career to sew some buttons on, rob. less stressful for you. >> after the overnight, that sounds pretty promising. when we come back this morning, two teenagers who learned the hard way about keeping off the ice. and then, a look at a lopsided fiesta bowl that featured a very rare play. try this. it's oikos greek yogurt. it's creamy, nonfat, and it turns the next person you see into john stamos for five seconds.

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the coast guard had to come to the rescue of a couple caught in rough waters in the gulf of mexico. the man's wife believes he suffered a heart attack aboard their sailboat about 200 miles out from new orleans. the air crew plucked the couple from the boat and airlifted the man to the hospital in stable condition. now, for a look at your morning road conditions. a slick ride in the pacific northwest. snow-covered highways from new mexico into southwest texas. showers and thunderstorms dampen roads in south texas and florida. >> if you're flying, it should be smooth sailing. weather-related airport delays are only expected in dallas. and back to the news, now. federal investigators spoke out on thursday on a pretty tough topic. shining a light on the very dark world of sexually exploited children. >> special agents announced that over the past 2 months, what's called "operation sunflower" has identified 123 sexually exploited children, some as young as 2, and led to the arrests of 245 people. and the search for a

19-year-old northern california woman is coming up empty, four days after she vanished. alyssa byrne was last seen at a new year's eve music festival in north lake tahoe. her friends say she took a shuttle bus back to the hotel without them. police have confirmed that a call or text was made from alyssa's cell phone just after midnight on the 1st. they're also looking into some cryptic tweets. and next door in arizona, two teenagers there say they have learned their lesson. they wound up hanging on to a dead tree after the frozen lake they were walking across cracked. both lost a shoe in the icy waters. so, they covered their bare feet with their hats. after being stuck there for more than four hours, rescuers finally arrived and pulled them to safety. lesson learned, indeed. and police in south florida are seeking help after three guys were seen on surveillance tape, holding up a radio shack outlet. it happened this past monday. after corralling several people in a storage room, they went about stealing expensive cell

phones, some iphones, as well. then, they fled out a back door and into, yep, a waiting getaway car. and if you are feeling under the weather this morning, you have a whole lot of company. government doctors say the worst flu season in a decade is currently under way. and relief is nowhere in sight. here's abc's dr. richard besser with his flu-fighting prescription. >> reporter: it's an early outbreak. in arizona this time last year, there were 18 cases of flu. today, 790. in new york, 84 last year. today, 3,975. massachusetts, 126 last year. today, 3,736. >> we are seeing an average of over 600 cases a week of influenza-like illness. the volume is certainly unusual for this time of year. >> reporter: from kentucky to north carolina, to texas. there hasn't been an outbreak this early for ten years. and that year, the flu season was severe.

we know with just 1 sneeze, the virus can spread almost 20 feet in just seconds. you're infected a full day before you show any symptoms, a bad mix. but why would this flu season, which usually peaks in february or march, be spreading so quickly? so soon? is this a new flu? one that isn't in this year's vaccine? one we're not immune to? so far, the vaccine seems to be a good match. >> i can't ever remember starting early in november. >> reporter: or more intriguing, could dry air be the culprit behind early outbreak? it's the most interesting new theory. in damp air, the water droplets take the flu to the ground quickly. dry air, look at that sneeze again. the virus floats in the air longer, spreading further. all doctors know right now is that the flu is already here. the most important thing you can do, get the flu shot. it takes two weeks to work. but this flu season has a long way to go. and it could be a rough one. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. and now, we turn to some sports news today. the nfl playoffs get under way

tomorrow afternoon. can't wait for that. the bengals will visit the texans. as for some college football right now, we have some thursday night highlights from espn. >> good morning. i'm hakem dermish with your "sportscenter" update. number four oregon, taking on number five kansas state. the tostitos fiesta bowl. what could be coach chip kelly's final college game. opening kickoff. de'anthony thomas, fastest kid in college football. 93 yards for the touchdown. first return for a touchdown for oregon this season. ducks go for two. they get it. up 8-0 early. more ducks. marcus mariota, to kenjon barner. 24-yard touchdown here. and number four oregon, takes down kansas state, 35-17. oregon, with the second-straight bcs bowl game victory. and chip kelly, earning his third-straight 12-win season. upset alert. unbeaten number three arizona, hosting colorado, in their conference opener. under a minute to play. colorado up five. jordin mayes would steal.

arizona down 79-76. under ten seconds to go. after making the first free throw, mark lyons makes the second. we're tied at 80-80. so, here we go. sabatino chen. with the ball. for the win. can you be a hero for colorado? got it. but hold on a second. another look. tough to tell. might have barely gotten off in time. but the call is waved off. we go to overtime. in overtime, buffs, one of nine from the floor. mark lyons, he finished in the game tied for a season-high 24 points. arizona remains unbeaten. and speaking of unbeatens, duke will try to remain undefeated against wake forest. noon on espnu. also, texas takes on baylor, 2:00 eastern on espnu, also live on the watch espn app. >> that's your favorite team, right? >> carolina. they will rise later in the year.

up next, "the pulse." speaking of, yours is going up right now. a picture of princess diana was that never supposed to be seen in public. it surfaces after all these years. and america's favorite british import is back. and "downton abbey" is getting a familiar, american face. i like to drink orange juice or have lemon in my water... eat tomato sauce on my spaghetti. the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. hd 8. can't grow your enamel back. i was quite surprised, as only few as four exposures a day what that can do to you. it's quite a lesson learned. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel. because it helps to strengthen the enamel. he recommended that i use it every time i brush. you feel like there is something that you're doing to help safeguard against the acid erosion. and i believe it's doing a good job. five days later, i had a massive heart attack.

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you'll have the knowledge to advance your career while making a difference in the lives of patients. let's get started at capella.edu. and politics are going to top your friday "pulse." starting with a candid moment on capitol hill, thanks to a pint-sized attention-grabber. >> this is a cute moment. new york senator kristen jill

brand's son, thought it would be a good idea to ruffle his mom's hair, just as the vice president was swearing her in. tender mommy moment. >> a working mom moment. and the vice president made some news, as well. had a few memorable moments. he was said to be flirting with the wives and moms of several senators during the swearing-in. not just the wives. but the moms. >> everybody needs love. >> that's great. >> he even offered tim scott some help with his picks. all of his antics getting lots of attention online. say many things about the vice president. he's not dull. >> not in the least. and there's new evidence princess diana continues to captivate the world, even after all these years. a rare photo of a teenage diana, preroyal family, has now surfaced and is going up for auction this month. >> can only imagine how much it's going to fetch. the black and white photo is believed to be on a ski trip in

switzerland around 1980, when diana was 19. a young man is on the bed. a bottle of johnnie walker whisky nearby. >> and written on it by a newspaper photo editor, quote, not to be published. and finally, sunday night, the wait, finally comes to an end. as "downton abbey" season three debuts on pbs. >> for those who do not know, this season picks up in post-world war i england. fans are likely aware that shirley maclaine joins the cast as an american relative. >> but the relationship between matthew and mary is sure to provide a lot of questions. and the fate of bates must be decided, as well. will his murder conviction actually stand? >> will it? >> no spoilers here, folks. you have to tune in and check it out. >> i need to start watching that. men and women like it. >> yeah. it's good. for some of you, your local news is next.

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>> live from the kgo broadcast center this is abc7 news. it is 8:28. i am indicate katie here for eric thomas. it is friday! >> i don't know if you will like the sound of change but it is coming. can you hear it? what will the change be, mike? >> rain for the weekend. it is dry this morning. a little more moisture in the air so watch out for patchy fog to develop. temperatures are close to freezing in some inland areas. fairfield is 30. to the north it is warmer, 34 in napa, mid-to-upper 40's for the bay shore. 42 in fremont and 45 in san francisco which is the warm spot. and 38 in oakland. more high clouds mixing with sunshine with temperatures in the low to upper 50's.

>> we have a stall to report on upper deck of the bay bridge. road work in the two right lanes to the center until 5:00 this morning but there is no slow track. just be aware if you are headed there. the golden gate bridge, road work on the northern portion until 5:00 this morning down to one lane in each direction on the golden gate bridge and road work until 5:00 this morning in the left lane, and road work in oakland area which is typical, 880 in both directions. katie and kristen? >> we are continuing to follow developing news in the search for a petaluma teen who disappeared new year's eve. there could be new leads from alyssa byrne's cell phone. now, live in petaluma. >> i am at the sports bar in

petaluma where they will have a fundraiser tomorrow to raise money for the search teams, the local people who are doing what they can to get the word out about the 19-year-old missing woman who has been missing since shortly after midnight on new year's day. we are talking about alyssa byrne. her father had this to say. >> my hope is she is out there. if you are, just come home. >> search and recuse teams are searching the area around the horizon hotel. alyssa byrne went there new year's eve, there was the snowglobe concert. she went with friends. after the concert she went back to the hotel and she disappeared. new information suggests her phone was used slightly after midnight before they were saying it was just before midnight. that is not that big a deal but look at the